Feeding apparatus.



H. C. COLBURN.

FEEDING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1914 1,149,426. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

INVENTOR. H6? 00/60/77.

A TTORNE Y.

srA'rEs r HERBERT c. ooLBUnn, or vro'ron, COLORADO.

FEEDING arraim'rus.

'Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FeedingApparatus, of which the followlng s a SPGClfiCEltlQIL My invention relates to improvementsin feeding apparatus used in the treatment of' metalliferous ores, and more particularly to apparatus of the character shown and described in my application for patent, Serial No. 822,176, filed March 3, 1914:, of which the present application is divisional.

My improved apparatus is particularly adapted for use'in process of precipitating bearing cyanid solutions, in wh ch zinc is used as a vprecipitant. this process itis of paramount importance that the'zinc is introduced into the solution in a thoroughly emulsified condition and in measured quantlties'which vary 1n accordance with the richness of the solution and the rate at which it is fed to the filter press. 7 With this object in view, my lnvention consists of an association of cooperative de:

vices by which the desired quantities of zinc dust arecautomatically measured off and delivered in a thoroughly, emulsified condition to the apparatus in which the precipitation process is carried on.

The devices hereinbefore referred to, in-

clude a feeding element which operates"in-- termittently to dispense determinate quantities of zinc dust or other materialin'de terminate periods from a supply-contained in a receptacle with which the element is connected. These measured quantities are delivered into abowl from which they are discharged by a flow of liquid, preferably consisting of the solution used in the precipitation process, which insures the passage of every particle of the measured quantities to the element of my invention in which the dust is emulsified. The quantities of dust I before entering the emulsifying mill are permitted to accumulate in a feeding device which delivers the material at a rate which insures of av continuous and uniform discharge of the emulsion from'thejmill after the material fed thereinto has been thoroughly subjected to its grinding and'emulsifying actions. 7

By the cooperation of the 'diiferent elefeeding Zinc dustinthe gold from gold- In the practice of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 19, 1915,

Original application filed March 3, 1914, Serial No. 822,176. Divided and this application filed June 29,1914; 7 Serial No. i I

/ ments of my invention, the exact quantities:

of zinc dust required for the proper opera J I tion of the filter press in precipitating the gold in the solution, are first of all automatically' measured off, they are subse quently delivered to theemulsifying millthrough the instrumentality of the feeding most essential requirements in the effective 5 operation of the precipitation"process. In this connection it should beunderstood that ordinary agitationiis not sufficient to produ'ce an emulsion of the character required, I but that a combined grinding and emulsifyjing action such as that which takes place in a pebble mill of the type hereinafter to be described, is necessary to provideanemuL nitely in solution. a I

Anembodiment of my inventionhas been shownin the accompanying drawings in the sionin which the zinc dust is so evenly and 5 finelyv divided that it: will remain indefi-" various views of which like partsare similarly designated, and in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved apparatus and Fig. 2, a section taken ,on the vertical planes of the axes of comprised in my invention.-

Referr ng more specifically to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 designates a the screw-conveyer and the emulsifying mill vide an open trough'6 in which a feed screw 7 is mounted for rotation. In the opera 9 'tion of the apparatus the screw is intermit tently rotated by means of a'friction ratchet 8 applied at an end of its shaft which pro jects through an opening in the closed end of the trough, opposite to that which is open for the'discharge of the material transported by the screw. The ratchet which may be of any suitable construction includes an 7 oscillating member 9 which by means, of a longitudinally extensible pitman 10 is operatively connected with the wrist of .a crank wheel 12 which by means of suitable transmission gearing 13, is driven from a line shaft 1 1 which is mounted in bearings on the supporting structure and carries apul- V ley 115 for its connection with an engine or emulsifying element .tary movement of a The Ililll'ls mounted in bearings on the connected, by the suction of the other motive agent. The pitman is connected with the oscillating element by means of a collar 15 which being fastened by a set screw, may be readily adjusted to vary the intermittent movements of the transport screw'in accordance material it is required to deliver to the of my invention during a finite period. The material the action of the screw at regular intervals through the open end of the trough, falls intov a bowl 16 in which it is subjected to the action of a small stream of liquid, preferably the solution used in the precipitation process, which being ejected into the bowl through a nozzle 17 agitates the pulverous substance and washes it through a conduit l8'into a feedbox 19 from which it isremoved'into arotary cylindrical pebble mill 20 at a determined rate, by the roscoop 21.

supporting structure by means of two axially alined, hollow trunnions 22 and 23, and it is driven from the line shaft by means of" a sprocket chain 24., The scoop is fixed at the end of the hollow trunnion23 to rotate in unison with the mill and it serves to deliver the material into the cylinder at regular intervals and in measured quantities.

The quantities of Zinc dust fed into the mill during adetermined period, are determined bythe capacity of a scoopand the rate of velocity at which the cylinder rotates, so that there will be a continuous, uniform discharge of emulsion from themill after the material has been thoroughly subjected to the grinding and emulsifying action of the mass of small flint pebbles 25 with which the cylinder is approximately one-third filled. r

The mill is during its rotary movement,

supplied with barren solution in quantities required to produce the emulsion which may be discharged through the hollow trunnion 22 opposite to that with which the scoop is with the quantities of discharged by the bowl, a measured quantities.

3. Apparatus for feeding a precipitant n filter press pump usually operated in the practice of the precipitation process hereinabove re-v shown and described my invention in the best form at present known to me, the apparatus is susceptible of variations without any material deviation from the true principle and nature of the same. 7

Having thus described my invention wha I claim and ent is: I I

1. Apparatus for feeding a precipitant in a system of precipitating metals from solutions, comprising an emulsifying mill adapted for the discharge of material at a uniform rate, a receptacle, a device operating to intermittently convey measured quantities of material from said receptacle to the said mill, means for feeding a liquid to the receptacle, and means to intermittently supply to the liquid fed-into the receptacle, a powderedprecipitant in uniform measured quantities. f

2. Apparatus for feeding a precipitant in ed for the. discharge of form rate, a receptacle,

material at a unia device operating to intermittently convey measured quantities of, ,iiiaterial from said receptacleto the said mill, abowl discharging into the receptacle, means for supplying a liquid to the bowl, and meansfor feeding intermittently into powdered precipitant in uniform a system of precipitating metals from solutions, the combination with an emulsifying mill, of an appliance operating to intermittently convey measured quantities of material to the said mill, and means for feeding to the said appliance, a powdered precipitant intermittently in uniform quantities.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT C. COLBURN.

i Witnesses:

- A. L. LEITOH,

E. A. COLBURN, Jr.

copic'sof. this patent may b e obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

' WashingtomD. 0.?

desire to secure by Letters-Fab 

